University Libraries Host Net Neutrality Q&A Panel

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"I believe that speaking out in service of the common good is a good thing and that's what we're talking about here today. I also believe that the United States' Internet economy is the envy of the world. We invented it. ... And what produced that dynamic engine of entrepreneurship and experimentation is openness. That openness is revolutionary. It's also what net neutrality is all about."

— FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, New York Attorney General's Press Briefing, Dec. 4, 2017

The Net Neutrality Q&A panel discussion, scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, in Gearhart Hall Auditorium, is an opportunity to gather and discuss general principles and recent events in net neutrality rule-making and legislation.

A Q&A panel format with campus voices from University Libraries, Information Technology Services, and the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences will invite discussion of technical questions, but also consider how the open Internet supports education, scholarship, creativity, and civic life.

Statements from the American Library Association and the Association of Research Libraries on the Federal Communications Commission's draft order to eliminate Title II net neutrality protections will serve as starting points for discussion. English & Communication Librarian Michelle Gibeault will provide a brief introduction, and the Q&A discussion will feature insights from the following panelists:

• Constance Bailey, assistant professor of English/African American studies
• David Fredrick, associate professor of Classical Studies, director of humanities
• Roy Hatcher, security analyst, Information Technology Services
• Mary Leverance, preservation and conservation coordinator, University Libraries
• Ray McCaffrey, assistant professor of journalism, director of the Center for Ethics in Journalism
• Marianne Williams, librarian-in-residence, University Libraries